Southwest Sufi Camp 2023 Guidelines
GENERAL GUIDELINES
1) ORIENTATION: Please see the Camp Registrar at the Retreat Center to sign in. The Camp Registrar will be located in the Ramada on the back side of the Retreat Center.
2) PARKING: When you arrive, proceed to the Retreat Center. It’s okay to take your car to most of the Retreat Center accommodations and the camping areas to unload gear, but please drive only on obviously traveled roads.
3) OUTHOUSES: Outhouses are located down hill from the Retreat Center and in the Dance Meadow.
4) DRINKING WATER: Drinking water is available by the Retreat Center from the spigots in the yard or on the water table by the Ramada.
5) WATER WASHING STATIONS: These are located by the Retreat Center and by the outhouses. If you are camping further away, be sure to do all of your washing away from the creek.
6) SHOWERS: There are two hot water showers available at the Retreat Center, one indoors and one outdoors. Our utilities run on solar, so please be brief, clean up after yourself, and always turn lights off when you’re done.
7) WADING IN THE CREEK: Water in Bear Creek is okay for wading, but not for drinking. Children must be supervised at all times while at the creek.
8) CAMPING: Please camp in the designated area in the Dance Meadow on the left or right side of the road. PLEASE DO NOT CAMP ON THE SAND IN OR NEAR THE CREEK. Please follow wilderness camping guidelines: don’t ditch around your tent as this can cause soil erosion; leave no trace of your campsite; pack out whatever you pack in; and don’t leave trash for others to take out.
9) CAMP KITCHEN: The Head Cook and the Assistant Cooks are in charge of the kitchen during camp. The Beverage Person serves coffee from the kitchen porch before breakfast. Please ask for whatever you need of the kitchen staff and they will do their best to accommodate.
10) FOOD: This is a remote area and the potential for animals being drawn to your food is high. Outside, keep your food in your car with the windows up or tie your food in a tree, hanging away from the trunk. Do not throw food scraps around; use designated compost buckets.
11) SMOKING: Smoking is only permitted at the designated smoking area on the south side of the Retreat Center. It is important to be aware of the danger of fire on the Land.
12) FIRES: Open fires are not permitted without approval. Please do not use incense, candles or open flame lanterns outdoors or when camping unless it is a part of a ceremony or practice with prior approval. Incense and candles may be used indoors only when they are under the direct observation of an adult (person 18 years of age or older). This is a dry area and it is very important to be careful with fire.
13) HUNTING/FIREARMS: Firearms are not allowed and no hunting of any kind is permitted on SSC Land.
14) WILDLIFE: Please respect any wildlife you may see or encounter. The extensive riparian area is home to diverse flora and fauna, with regular visits from migrating birds. Resident wildlife includes squirrels, chipmunks, lizards, deer, rabbits, quail, dove, blue heron, javelinas, foxes and coyotes, rattlesnakes, bears, and mountain lions.
15) PETS: While we love all animals, visiting pets are not allowed on the Land.
16) SNAKES & INSECTS: We have black-tailed rattlesnakes in the area. They are generally non-aggressive, and have a beautiful green and gold color with a diamond pattern on the back. They like closed in-spaces and in the late morning usually lay in direct sunlight. If you see a snake, please leave it alone and tell the Camp Manager where it was seen. Scorpions, fire ants, and kissing bugs are also present on the Land. It’s a good practice to shake out your clothing and shoes prior to putting them on and check your bedding in case either of these have nestled in. The kissing bug looks like a large watermelon seed with an elongated snout. Some people have adverse reactions to their bites.
17) CHILD SAFETY: Children are prohibited from entering the tool shed, barn, and any equipment room. Children may be in the Community kitchen, a worksite, or within 100 feet of Bear Creek only when accompanied by a supervising adult.
18) FIRST AID: Some herbal and other first aid supplies are kept in the utility room off the Retreat Center kitchen. “Universal Precautions” are followed as a part of first aid practices and health awareness. With incidents involving any blood spills, please ask the Camp Manager or Community Residents for assistance.
19) MEDICAL EMERGENCY PROTOCOL: SSC is rustic and remote. There is no doctor on the Land. If necessary, it is the responsibility of all visitors, retreatants, and participants to seek their own medical treatment and treatment for minors in their custody. The nearest formal medical treatment is an hour away in Silver City.
20) PHONES & E-MAIL: There is no cell phone reception on the Land and a public phone is not available. If you wish to use your cell phone, you may try driving up the hill to find reception on the mesa.
21) HISTORICAL/ ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES: Sites from the past may be found on the Land and surrounding area. The sites may be noted and photographed but not disturbed.
22) SACRED SITES: The Maqbara area (Burial Ground) located across Bear Creek is considered to be specifically Sacred Ground. This area includes the Dargah of the Founder of the SSC, Murshid Moineddin Jablonski. All visitors and SSC Participants are encouraged to visit this area with the intention of seeking guidance as to the deeper meaning of the SSC Vision. There is a small retreat hut near the Dargah, if a personal retreat is in progress, please respect the privacy of the retreatant (at this site or any other area designated for a personal retreat) and keep a respectful distance.
23) GOATS: There is a herd of goats living on the Land. Please watch out for them when you arrive. Always drive very slowly (vehicles may frighten them) and keep a respectful distance.
24) PRIVATE RESIDENCES: Kindly respect the privacy of SSC Residents by keeping to the main road and not venturing into private driveways, yards, or homes.
25) WE ARE ALL GUESTS OF THE LAND: Visitors are invited to hike and explore while practicing “Leave No Trace” ethics. For the sake of safety, hikers are encouraged to go with a partner and must always inform another person at SSC where they intend to hike. Removing anything from the Land, including pottery shards and plants, is not permitted. A core value of the Community is respect for the sacred manuscript of nature, including the ideal of mindfulness and doing no harm to all living beings that share the Land.